


never let you go

by hotfruits



Series: jeith discord fics [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Asexual Keith (Voltron), Awkward Keith (Voltron), Claiming Bites, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Dates, Galaxy Garrison, Galra Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Kidnapping, Kissing, M/M, Mates, Moving In Together, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-07-30 02:43:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20089846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotfruits/pseuds/hotfruits
Summary: a series of non-linear drabbles showcasing the relationship between James and Keith at different times, for Jeith Anniversary Week.





	1. comfort

**Author's Note:**

> tags will change as things are added. just kinda writing this as I go.
> 
> this is for you, stacey~

The lights were turned down low as he enters Keith’s quarters, the door closing behind him with a quiet whoosh. Kosmo, who had been sleeping on the couch, gets up with an elongated stretch and pads over to him, a sleepy smile on his face. He pats the wolf on the head, scratching him behind the ears as he murmurs a quiet hey boy, before toeing off his shoes and shrugging out of his jacket, throwing it over the back of the couch as he makes his way towards the bathroom.

When he enters the room, he flicks the lights on and is immediately greeted by his own face, a frown quickly forming as he stares at himself. The bags under his eyes are heavy looking, and the skin is discolored to an unhealthy shade of purple. His cheeks are dry and have a few pimples erupting on them, while his jawline is prickled with stubble, after not shaving for several days in a row. He looks stressed and exhausted, maybe even a little dehydrated. He knows he’s been working extra hard as of late and should probably take a break but feels as though he can’t. The universe’s needs are far more important than his own.

He sighs and turns on the faucet, cupping his hands below the stream of water and splashing it onto his face. He brushes his teeth next and afterwards, feels a little more human again, like the tension in his neck and the weight on his shoulders are a little easier to bare. 

He turns off the lights as he leaves the bathroom and shuffles towards the bed, careful to not make a sound. He undresses quickly, leaving his socks, slacks, and undershirt in a pile on the floor. Normally, he’d put them in the hamper to be cleaned later, but couldn’t be bothered to do it at the moment. He just wants to get in bed and curl up next to Keith, to forget about the world around him as he listens to the other’s breathing ‘til he inevitably passes out.

He lifts the blankets and climbs into bed, nuzzling into the warm space. He breaths in, taking in the familiar scent of the Atlas’ detergent, and closes his eyes, carefully wrapping an arm around Keith’s waist, so as not to disturb him.

He’s unsuccessful however, as Keith rouses from his sleep, mumbling his name as he turns over and looks at him, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. “Hey,” he says quietly, leaning forward and brushing his nose against Keith’s, then tilts his head and brushes their lips together, just a soft press of lips. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Time issit?” Keith asks, turning to look over his shoulder before James can answer, already sneaking a peek at the alarm clock. “James, it’s almost 3, what the fuck?”

“We didn’t get back from M-16 ‘til just a bit ago.”

Keith sighs, dragging a tired hand across his face. “You’re too busy,” then, a little quieter, adds, “I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” he says and shuffles closer, burying his face in the top of Keith’s hair. He can feel the tears already welling up in his eyes and tries to blink them away, but they fall regardless, sliding down his cheeks and into Keith’s hair. “But they need me-”

“Not to this extent,” Keith interrupts, and he bristles at that, his mind immediately saying that he’s expendable, unimportant, but then Keith continues. “Your health and well-being are just as important as the mission, okay? If you don’t sleep or take time to have fun, you’re gonna burn out,” he then pulls back, his brows pulled together and his expression emphatic, but no less serious. “Believe me, I know.”

He sniffles, the tears falling a bit faster as a quiet sob leaves his mouth. He can’t help but think that if the situation was reversed, if Keith was the one working himself to the point of a tearful breakdown at three in the morning, it’d break his fucking heart. “Okay,” he says after a few moments, because as hard as it is to not throw himself into it, to do it all for the greater good, he knows Keith is right. “I’ll try and balance it out better.”

“You better,” Keith threatens with a smile and presses forward, kissing one of his tear-stained cheeks. “For now, let’s just get some sleep, okay?”

He nods and accepts the invitation to snuggle into Keith’s arms, closing his eyes as he begins to stroke his hair. The drag of his blunt fingernails across his scalp, along with the steady ba-dum of Keith’s heart, has him passing out within minutes, resting comfortably in Keith’s arms.


	2. first date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> when james asked keith out, he wasn't expecting lance to crash their date.

His arms are crossed over his chest as he leans against the MFE, watching the hustle and bustle of the crew as he waits for Keith to arrive. He’s a few minutes early, his nerves getting the best of him and preventing him from just chilling out and waiting like a normal person to get ready for their date. He ended up getting showered and dressed hours in advanced, wearing a pair of jeans that might actually be Ina’s, along with a black shirt and his chucks. His hair is pushed back into a swoop, something a little more fashioned forward that Nadia did for him. It’s not entirely his style, but it looks good, and he hopes Keith thinks so as well.

Speak of the devil, he sees the doors slide open and Keith walking through, wearing his black jacket and a maroon shirt, along with black pants and his usual black boots. His hair, which has been growing out and is now down to his shoulders, is tied into a small ponytail at the base of his skull. He looks amazing and begins to smile, that fuzzy feeling threatening to turn him into a gooey mess, but it’s all quickly cut short as Lance steps in after Keith, one hand in his pocket and the other gesturing wildly as he talks.

He watches with a small frown as Keith pauses, looking around the room, before their eyes meet and he sees Keith light up, an odd grin on his face as he elbows Lance and the two of them make their way over. “Hey,” Keith says in greeting, stepping in and raising his arms as if to hug him, but then stops, retreating back in on himself. He can’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. “I uh,” Keith clears his throat, looking over his shoulder at Lance, “Hope you don’t mind if Lance joins us? He wants to shop…”

“Hey man,” he turns to Lance, who holds out a hand to him in greeting. He takes it, shaking it maybe a little harder than necessary, but Lance seems unphased.

“Hey,” he says back, his arm falling back towards his side. “I didn’t know you were back on the Atlas?” he asks, because the last he heard, from a few nights ago in fact, was that Lance had been helping Coran in setting up spaces for a new wave of refugees that sought shelter on Altea.

“Oh yeah, just got here last night,” he grins, the blue marks under his cheeks glowing faintly. “Keith was telling me about your guys’ day trip and I asked if I could crash. There’s this one shop that sells a mask for your feet and it gets off every dead layer of skin, I swear.”

“Right,” he glances at Keith, then back at Lance, before shrugging. “Yeah, let’s head out.”

They board the shuttle that is heading down to the planet, along with a few other crew members who are taking advantage of their short vacation. Keith sits between them, but his attention seems more focused on Lance, catching up with him about his work on Altea and sharing his own stories about juggling duties between the Atlas and the Blades. Meanwhile, he just sits there, watching the two in irritation.

It’s not that he doesn’t like Lance, because he does. He’s a goof, but reliable, loyal, and a damn good strategist and shooter. He’d just been hoping that when he had asked Keith out, it’d be just them, considering it’s their first date. But whatever, he looks away and out the window, watching as the planet draws nearer.

Once they break atmosphere, it only takes a few minutes to reach their destination. The shuttle lands on the docks and the driver reminds them to be there in three hours, unless they wanna get left behind. Then, it’s taking back off, and Lance is looking at them with a big grin. “Ready to shop?” he asks and they nod, following him.

They teeter around the shops, jumping from store to store as Lance sees different things that catch his eyes. Keith follows him around, teasing Lance or giving his opinion on certain things. He trails behind them, feeling a third wheel on his own damn date.

After about forty minutes, he’s nearly had enough and is ready to just go back to the docks, when Lance takes him aside, while Keith is busily looking at different knives. “Hey man, you good?”

“Oh yeah,” he replies, totally aware of the snippy tone his voice has taken on. “Having a great time.”

Lance chuckles. “Sorry to crash, but Keith was kinda freaking out and begged me to come.”

At that, he can feel his expression fall and like his stomach hits the bottom of the floor. Why would Keith be freaking out? When he had asked him out, he had seemed really excited at the time...did something happen in between that time? Did he fuck things up somehow?

As if reading his thoughts, Lance starts shaking his head and gesturing quickly with his hands, his palms flat as he waves them from side to side. “No no no nono, not like that! He was just really nervous cause he likes you a lot but was scared you’d reject him the more you got to know him.”

“...why would he think that?” he asks, now feeling concerned for the other. He glances over Lance’s shoulder and sneaks a peek at Keith, who is tossing a knife in the air and catching it, testing its weight. “I like him so much.”

“Yeah, but there’s things about him you don’t know and that scares the shit outta him. But you’re a good dude,” Lance grins and places a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “And I know you’ll be patient with him as he adjusts and what not, right?”

“Of course,” he promises, his heart warming in response to Lance’s chilled out threats. It makes him happy, knowing that Keith has someone who’s looking out for him and insuring he’s being treated the way he deserves.

Lance opens his mouth to say more, but stops as Keith approaches them, giving them both an apprehensive look. “Hey Keithy, I was just telling James that I’m gonna bounce out for a bit. I need to do...things,” he says, giving James a not-so subtle wink, before literally bouncing away and into a run, bent at the waist with his arms behind his back.

“Um,” Keith starts, but then stops, looking around nervously. 

James smiles and steps forward, looping his arms around Keith’s neck. “Hey, wanna know something?”

“Wha?” Keith asks, his eyes widening as he stares at him.

“I think I’m wearing Ina’s pants,” he says and Keith snorts, his expression quickly morphing to one of amusement. “They’re like, slowly cutting off the circulation in my legs. I’m kinda worried they’re gonna fall off…”

Keith immediately begins laughing, his eyes crinkling as his nose scrunches up. He looks adorable, free from worry, and James keeps the rest of the date like that, hoping that, through his actions, Keith will remember that he’s got nothing to fear from him. That he really likes him, and is looking forward to getting to know him.


	3. lazy morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> keith and james spend a little time canoodling in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally this had porn but then I remembered something my homie Stacey told me, about the lack of asexual rep. in fics. I'm not asexual myself, but I wanted to make something for Stacey to enjoy and feel uwu over. Hopefully I did it accurately?

A hand on his shoulder gently rouses him from his sleep and he groans, swatting at the hand. The hand remains undeterred though as it begins to tip-toe down his arm, a breathy chuckle leaving the occupant’s lips. He’s just barely beginning to register that this is Keith when the hand dives into his armpit and begins to tickle it relentlessly. His eyes widen as he shoots out of bed and throws his arms in Keith’s direction, attempting to shove him away. Keith, however, just grabs his hand and pulls him closer, moving to straddle his waist and smiling down at him cheerfully. “Morning.”

“Morning,” he grins lazily, relaxing under Keith’s weight. “This is a pretty nice wake up call…” he moves his fingers to interlock with Keith’s, giving them a squeeze. “I thought you weren’t gonna be back on the Atlas for another couple of weeks?” he asks, bringing one of Keith’s hand to his lips and kissing it. The last time they had talked had been almost a month ago, over grainy video feed. Keith was on the edge of sector space with the Blades, visiting the planets there and offering them relief. It was difficult, not being able to see Keith as much as he wanted, but knowing that Keith was out there, using his skills to make the universe a better place, filled his heart with so much joy.

“Mom needed a Blades representative on Daibazaal, and,” Keith shakes his head, but his expression is amused. “I drew the short stick.”

“Cause you’re literally the shortest or -” he cackles, moving to defend himself as Keith swats at him, landing a solid _thwack_ onto his bare stomach. “Ow, mercy, mercy!”

“You’re an ass,” Keith says and bends down, so that their chests are pressed together. The material of Keith’s shirt is a bit scratchy, but he ignores it in favor of wrapping his arms around Keith, pulling him to snuggle closer. Keith rests his head in the crook of his neck and breathes in, letting out a pleased hum. “God, I love the way you smell.”

He runs a hand through Keith’s hair, smiling. Although Keith presents as human, he does have some Galra tendencies, like being fiercely protective over his “pack” and having a heightened sense of smell. Keith has commented a few times on his smell and how pleasing it is, or if he’s using a different body wash, how terrible it is. “Missed me?” he teases, twisting his neck to get a good look at Keith’s now flushed face. Despite being together for nearly a year now, it’s adorable how Keith still gets all flustered when he’s being cheesingly affectionate. 

Despite his awkwardness though, it sends a warm pulse throughout his body when Keith mutters a quiet _yeah_ and moves to kiss him, brushing their lips together. Their eyes meet for just a moment, before Keith closes the distance between them once more, kissing him with more purpose. He quickly loses himself in the feeling of Keith’s lips against his own, his bottom lip catching between his own. He bites down on the plush skin and Keith lets out a grunt, pulling away with a scandalized expression. “What was that for?” he asks, his lips kiss swollen and his hair hanging messily around his shoulders.

He grins, reaching out a hand and caressing Keith’s cheek. “You’re so pretty,” he says, and Keith’s expression immediately relaxes. He looks down on him with a mixture of amusement and soft adoration. “I’m really glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” Keith says, leaning into his touch with a sigh, his eyes slipping close.

Of course, it’s in that moment that the door bursts open, Keith turning to look at the intruder with an angry scowl. “Keith, I heard you were - oh gosh!” Hunk is quick to cover his eyes, a blush staining his cheeks.

“What the hell, Hunk?” Keith asks, crossing his arms over his chest. He’s still seated quite comfortably in his lap, and seems to have no plans of moving. 

“I’m sorry guys, I really didn’t mean to...interrupt?” Hunk uncovers his eyes, giving Keith a questioning look.

Keith rolls his eyes. “Ya’know it’s not like that, Hunk,” he says and clambers out of his lap, sitting beside him on the bed. “What didya want, anyways?”

“Oh!” Hunk visibly brightens, clasping his hands together. “Well, besides saying hi,” he pauses, giving Keith a blinding smile. “Hi! I wanted to invite you to dinner at the restaurant tonight. James, you’re welcome too, of course!”

“Sounds good, Hunk, can’t wait,” he says and Hunk continues to be a happy ray of sunshine, even as he leaves the room with an extended goodbye, waving cheerfully ‘til the door finally whooshes closed.

“So, anyways,” he turns to face Keith, who is already pulling him into another kiss, giggling as they fall back into the sheets.


	4. garrison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> james tries to stop keith from making a bad decision.

The news of the Kerberos failure was a sensitive subject on campus. You’ve got the best pilot in the Garrison, and maybe even the best pilot in the United States, and he, of all people, failed? It was hard to believe for most people, which is probably how the theories first came to light. There were lots of them out there, with the most popular one being that the Garrison fucked up somehow and was trying to cover up their tracks, using Shirogane as their scapegoat. Of course, the Garrison countered these claims with news of Shirogane’s muscular dystrophy, but his ex-partner, Adam, went on record to state that Shirogane was not at all compromised when he went up into space and should have been able to handle the mission with no problems.

It took a couple months for the whispers and debates to die down, but there were some who continued to struggle with it. Adam could still be seen in the canteen with other Garrison officers or helping a student after class, but his smiles didn’t quite meet his eyes. Holt’s daughter, who wasn’t even a student on campus, was caught in Iverson’s office, looking through confidential files. She was escorted off campus, kicking and screaming that she’d find the truth of what happened to her dad and brother. And then there was Keith, who retreated even further into himself, his perfect scores and ability to perform quickly dwindling.

He remembers the day it happens, when Keith eventually gets expelled. He’d seen him skulking around the night before, slipping through the empty hallways and looking paranoidly over his shoulder. How he managed to not realize he was actually being followed baffles him, but when Keith got to Admiral Sanda’s office, he quickly rushed forward and grabbed Keith by the hand, dragging him away from the door and into a supply closet, shoving Keith inside and carefully shutting the door behind himself.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” Keith hisses at him, his fists already raised as if to fight.

He makes an exasperated sound, giving Keith an incredulous look. “What the fuck am I doing? Keith, what are you doing sneaking into the Admiral’s office? You could get expelled for that!”

He can physically see Keith getting angrier, his brows pinched together and his arms now crossed over his chest, his shoulders raising defensively. “So?! Why do you care?” he asks, practically growling as he glares furiously at him.

It’s easy to wanna get mad, because Keith always makes him mad, but tonight he just sighs, leaning against the door. “Because...fuck, you’re better than this, man.”

“You don’t even know me!” Keith practically shouts and yeah, that’s valid. In all the years he’s known Keith, he’s never really tried to get to know him. He said hi to him a few times when they were kids, but after being met with angry silences, gave up pretty quickly. Eventually, that indifference shifted to anger, as Keith began to rise, quickly becoming the smartest and most gifted kid in their grade. Then, he earned a scholarship to the Garrison, with their best pilot, _his hero_, taking Keith under his wing. Of course, with talent like that, Keith was getting everything he deserved, but instead of acting with dignity and grace, he’d been an absolute dick. He acted like he was the best thing since sliced bread and refused to work in a team, always claiming that everyone else was inferior and would just hold him back.

There’s a definite reason that no one liked him beside Shirogane…

He sobers at the thought, glancing away from Keith and towards the floor. He may not have the raw talent that Keith has, but at least he’s not alone.

“You’re right, I don’t...but would Shirogane really wanna see you get expelled?”

He expects Keith to throw him against the wall for even mentioning his name, but instead watches as he deflates, his expression shifting from one to anger to downright heartbrokenness. “Look, I can’t stop you from fucking up your life, but just...think about it, okay? It’d suck for the Garrison to lose someone like you…” he says and offers Keith a half-hearted smile, before turning towards the door. He slips out and makes his way back towards the dorms.

When he sees Keith the next day at sims, he feels a twinge of relief. That feeling is short-lived though as Iverson comes into the room, announcing that they’ll be running sims on Kerberos, to try and fix where the last pilot _went wrong._ Keith is on him before anyone can move, sending the two of them crashing onto the floor, a look of tormented fury on his face as his fists reign down on Iverson’s face.

It takes two officers to drag Keith off of him and within the hour, Keith is expelled and off Garrison grounds.

_\- years later -_

It’s weird, seeing him after all these years. While the other cadets look the same, Keith has definitely changed, his hair longer and shoulders broader. The biggest change though is his demeanor. He’s still got that raw, fiery spirit, but instead of flying off the rails and clamoring to do it all on his own, he looks to his teammates instead, waiting for their input before making any decisions. 

He can’t help but grin, shaking his head in slight amusement.

This should be interesting.


	5. (soul)mates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> james is captured as part of a mission and keith struggles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they dont know theyre mates but they are. losers.
> 
> pov switching

He wakes up with a groan, muscles sore and mouth drier than the Arizona desert. He tries to get a look around at his surroundings, but his eyes are all foggy, whatever drug he was given still working its way through his system.

After a moment, the fog begins to clear and saliva works its way back into his mouth. As he stretches his jaw and clicks his tongue, he can now see that he’s in a cage, although the bars are made of some kinda energy, rather than a metal. He moves to touch it and immediately draws back with a pained hiss, the skin on his fingertips already blistering.

Alright, definitely no more touching that.

He then directs his gaze to outside the cage and finds that he’s not alone. There are several others in cages, but none from a species he recognizes...

Oh. He’s been kidnapped by the pirates then, the ones who have been selling rare species to the highest bidders. It’s a case the coalition, as a whole, has been working on in the years following Allura’s death. It’s a bit jarring, but he knows what to do - they were all trained for this when the idea to use coalition members as bait first came to light. He needs to lie low, stay alive, and wait ‘til the tracker in his arm leads the Atlas and the Blades to their final location, where the bidding officially occurs.

Hopefully, Keith isn’t freaking out too much...

\---

He’s got his head in his hands, eyes squeezed shut as he pulls at the hair on the top of his scalp. He feels like he’s filled with too much energy, his nerves vibrating under his skin, but also like he’s drowning, panicking as he listens to Shiro debrief the other officers from his spot in front of the door. 

He knows he’s being ridiculous. If it was anyone else, he’d be in there instead of crouched in front of the door, going over the plan. But the fact that it’s James has his mind screaming in agony, desperately fighting the urge to hijack a jet and save the man himself.

And why? Sure, they’ve been dating for a couple months now, after that semi-disastrous first date, but it’s not like they’re in love or anything…

It’s baffling, to say the least.

\---

When they finally land, he allows himself to be dragged along with the others, eyes darting across the room in case he needs to make an emergency escape. His surveying his interrupted though by the sound of a small cry, as the littlest in the group trips over their feet and lets out a whimper. One of the guards is quick to approach and yank the child up by the arm, causing them to let out a sharp cry. “Hey, you’re hurting them!” he shouts, using the element of surprise to break free from the guard holding him. He makes a beeline towards the other and slams his head into their chest, sending them staggering back a few steps.

Of course, he’s no match for their superior alien strength, as the guards quickly rights themselves and lifts a hand, gripping him by the throat and slamming him down onto the floor. He hits it with a wheeze, wincing from the pain in his chest and along his throat. “Awe, little guy wanna play the hero, eh?” the guards asks, mocking him in a heavy, accented tone. The guard shifts and he hopes they’re going to let him go, but instead they bring a knee to his chest, pressing down on him. The guard is big, way too big, and before he can even blink, he feels a rib break and clenches his mouth shut, not wanting to give this ass the benefit of hearing his screams.

\---

They’re rushing towards the shuttles and jets when he pauses, a hand on his chest and eyes wide in terror. He sees Shiro looking back at him, asking what’s wrong, but he can’t explain it, just knows that James is in trouble and needs his help.

He shoves his panic aside for now and jumps into a shuttle with other Blades members, which drops them down onto the planet. When they reach the bid site, there’s already a lot of commotion, as the perpetrators and the elite clientele are being arrested and dragged into shuttles ready to take them away. He joins the flurry, doing his job, ‘til all is quiet and he collapses against the wall, struggling to breathe through the pain now radiating hotly across his chest.

His communicator beeps and he digs it out of his pocket, seeing that it’s a message from Romelle. When his eyes glide over the words _injured_, he shoves the small device back into his suit and rushes off, ignoring the Blades who call after him as he jumps into the nearest shuttle.

\---

When he wakes up, he’s no longer in a cage but in a bed, his throat and chest aching. He wonders how the mission went and how long he’s been out, but his attention is quickly diverted to a conversation that is happening near his bed.

Through half-lidded eyes, he can see Keith, who’s hair is messily tousled, as if he’s been running his hand through it and pulling at it. Acxa is sitting beside him, awkwardly patting him on the back. “Keith, it is not unusual for these things to occur, as you become closer to your mate.”

Mate? And what things? Galra things? He knows Keith has some weird Galra quirks, like when he gets really angry, his pupils narrow and the whites of his eyes begin to turn yellow. And there’s also the thing with his nose and how he likes things to smell a particular way. He learned that lesson the hard way, after Keith nearly threw himself across the room, a hand over his mouth and nose as he screamed at him for “smelling all wrong.” When he told Keith he had run out of his body wash and used Ina’s instead, Keith had yelled at him to not approach him ‘til he fixed the problem.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Keith asks, his face mirroring his own confusion. “We’re not, we don’t...mate, like that...”

Acxa sighs, rolling her eyes. “I am not talking about sexual intercourse, Keith,” her hand steadies on his back. “You care very deeply about James, correct?”

“Uh, yeah...he’s a great boyfriend,” Keith replies, suddenly looking shy under Acxa’s intense gaze. “He’s funny and listens to me when I’m feeling shitty.”

“And you love him?”

Keith’s eyes widen. “What? No, I mean, James is great and I care about him, but it’s not like that...it’s still really new and we’re not rushing it, ya’know?”

Acxa smirks, her hand traveling up Keith’s back and along the back of his neck, giving it a squeeze. “But you hurt, where he’s hurt. When he was gone, it felt like an ache you’d never recover from, ‘til he returned.”

Wait, what? Keith felt his pain? How is that even possible?

Keith remains silent, so Acxa continues. “You feel things around him that you’ve never felt before. The urge to protect, to claim, to have him by your side at all times. He means a lot to you.”

Keith gulps, then slowly nods his head. Acxa seems satisfied by his answer, but he’s not, his mind bursting with questions to ask Keith as soon as he’s out of this bed.

For now, he lets himself drift back to sleep, feeling comforted by the fact that he’s safely on board...and that Keith is watching over him.


	6. home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> at shiro's wedding, keith asks james an important question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im a soft bitch
> 
> also sorry for being late with this. i went rafting and then binged played sims lmao.

He startles when the seat beside him is pulled out, scraping against the linoleum, but quickly settles when he sees it’s just Lance, plopping into the empty seat with a lazy grin. He’s definitely a little drunk, probably taking advantage of the free bar, and throws an arm around his shoulders. “Heyyyy man, wassup?”

“Hey buddy,” he nods in greeting, patting Lance’s knee. “How you doin’?”

“Fuckin’ great,” Lance says with a wave of his hand, moving it like the ocean cresting against the sand. Yeah, he’s definitely wasted, but it’s good to see him so happy and relaxed. “But nuff ‘bout me, Keith is waitin’ for ya outside.”

“He is?” he asks, already moving to stand up. “Is he okay?”

“Yeah man, just go, go,” Lance giggles, shooing him away.

He pushes in his chair and begins to make his way across the dance floor, squeezing past the moving bodies. He catches Pidge and Hunk’s eye along the way, but they motion for him to keep going, gesturing towards the large double doors that lead to the outside with matching grins. It’s a bit unnerving, but not surprising that Keith would employ his friends in whatever shit he’s planning…

But what that is, he has no idea. Maybe he’s going on another extended mission and will be out of commission for a few months? If that was the case though, then why involve his friends in such a manner? And why tell him at Captain Shirogane’s wedding reception?

He slides through the double doors and into the night air, scanning the area for Keith. He’s easy to spot in his white suit, with his hair tied back in a low-ponytail and a soft, content smile on his face. He looks beautiful, especially under the moon’s glow, and feels a warmth of affection bubbling up inside of him. “Hey,” he says as he approaches, slipping an arm around Keith’s waist and pulling him in to kiss his cheek. “Lance said you wanted to see me?”

“Yeah,” Keith nods, his voice quiet as their gazes connect. It’s still so easy to get lost in Keith’s eyes, even after all these years. He never imagined they’d connect the way they did, after getting close when Keith and the Paladins first came back to Earth, then on that first date after the Coalition won the war but lost Allura. They’ve been through a lot, between finding their groove as a mixed-species couple, being apart from one another for months on end, opening up about their fears and insecurities, getting injured and even getting kidnapped...it’s been a hell of a ride, but so very worth it. He knows Keith doesn’t believe it, but he’s so easy to love, with his dumb sense of humor and bright smiles, his fierce loyalty and protectiveness, even his odd affinity to the way he smells...he wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

“Are you leaving again soon?” he asks, but is surprised when Keith shakes his head. He assumed Keith would want to get back out there as soon as Captain Shirogane’s wedding was over, if only to relieve Acxa of the responsibility of managing it all on her own while he’s away. “Oh...what’s going on, then?”

“Well,” Keith begins to fidget with his hands, his sudden nervousness very palpable. “I was thinking...whenever I don’t have missions, I just sorta stay with Lance or Pidge, or on the Atlas, or with my mom,” he pauses, taking a deep breath in, then letting it out, the breath coming out shaky. “I haven’t really had a place that was my own since dad died, so…” he untangles his fingers and drops a hand into his suit pocket, pulling out a key. “I got a place, here, on Earth, so uh,” he chuckles, holding out the key with an expectant look. 

He stares down at the key, his heart racing in his chest. “Are you giving me a key to visit you, or are you asking me to move in?”

“Yeah?” Keith says with a shrug, smiling at him adorably. “I mean, whatever you’re comfortable with, I just...I like the idea of having my own place, but the more I thought about it, I didn’t really wanna be any place without you, so-”

He takes the key and pockets it, before pulling Keith in for a very abrupt kiss. He can feel Keith smiling into it, his hands moving to his lapels and pulling him closer, deepening it for half a second, before they pull apart. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Keith lets out an excited laugh and throws his arms around him, burying his face in his neck. He winces when Keith nuzzles the slight bruise he left there that morning, but is quick to melt into the embrace, feeling at home in his Galra-mate-boyfriend’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come find me on twitter @omgvoltron

**Author's Note:**

> find me on twitter @omgvoltron


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